What is the best way to rotary cut big stuff?

[mitchdb]

Will an LX6 cutter on a John Deere 4410 cut as good as a walk behind DR fieled and brush mower? I thought about buying to DR also, I heard they were better for this kind of stuff.

Thanks!

 

[rdbrumfield]

Mowing is something that my tractor gets the most use. It is my opinion that mowing forward is the best policy. Most mowers don't have the steel in them to push on anything other than grass without bending up the shroud around the back of the mower. By driving over them it helps the mower in my experience. The thing is is always leave yourself an out. Backing up after running a bush over is not good.One other thing that will help preserve you mower is to use blades that have the lift bend at the back of the blade. That little bend at the back will keep the blade from deflecting into the deck and opening it up like a sardine can. I have had this happen. Since, I armor the deck and sides before I put them in use. It has made the difference. One other thing is to mow clockwise as the mower spits the material to the left.

 

[John_Mc]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Will an LX6 cutter on a John Deere 4410 cut as good as a walk behind DR fieled and brush mower? I thought about buying to DR also, I heard they were better for this kind of stuff. )</font>

I would think your JD 4410 will run rings around a DR Field and Brush mower. The DR's are great units (I live about 5 or 6 miles from where they are made, and a neighbor owns one), but if you are doing a lot of brush mowing, a tractor is the way to go.

I've got a NH TC33D, which is a little smaller/lighter and a bit less HP than your 4410. While the DR has it's place, I wouldn't trade my CUT for it when it comes to brush hogging.

John Mc

 

[bebster]

The only way I can see the DR being better is (1) getting into spots too tight for your tractor, and (2) on hills where you might feel comfortable walking but not riding. Other than those, I'd estimate the 4410/LX or MX to be several times more powerful than a walk-behind DR, and also a lot safer. Plus one less engine to worry about.

Get the iMatch, and you can hook up and LX or MX in a minute or two. I opted for the MX5 (over the LX6) because I figured it could get into tighter spaces, and would cut heavier stuff. If you use it for cutting large open fields of grass, then the LX6 would be a better way to go.

 

[cisco]

Depends on rotary cutter, as you should have more than suffficient pto power with your tractor. I lower the FEL to 3' or so to push stuff down a bit, but then at a relatively slow speed just run over stuff with diameters of 2.5 inches or less, moving slower for 3 - 3.5 inch stuff (lots of noise from the cutter, but no damage, ever, except to what I'm cutting), and considering my chainsaw alternative for 3.5-4 inch hardwoods (L3410, Woods BB 600). You can cut at 6" height the first pass, if the stumps are large, and lower the cutter 3-4" for the next pass.
Listen, if I had worried about saplings with 1-2.5" trunks while I was clearing my property a few years ago, I'd still be out there. Tractor is still fine, and so is cutter (albeit having gone through blade sharpening a number of times, and due for another).

 

[EastTexFrank]

I couldn't agree with you more. I use a Dr. Brushcutter regularly to mow around the lake at the farm where there are still lots of stumps and it is a good piece of equipment but it is hard, hard work walking behind that thing, especially when it is cutting brush - don't let anybody tell you differently. 1-1/2" saplings in the pasture when I'm mowing on the tractor? - just roll on through them - never a problem. If they were bunched really close together, I might back into them but that I usually save for the thicker stuff up around 3". Be careful if you do raise the deck and back into them though, that brush cutter can throw those "sticks" a long, long way.

 

[tucker99]

G'day mate, I have lots of experience in brush and scrub cutting. Of course with a shorter blade as you described on your previous machine you power would be greater and it would handle the big stuff. There is a lot of noise scrub cutting! I think tackle it slow forward speed and small swathes. Your inside tyre will flatten the stuff and cut only that which springs up soo you can drive the other way round each time and pick up the flattened stuff but be careful of long stuff when driving into it as it sometimes is like marching against spears! and one might come up and poke you!
Russ

 

[BRUSHTAMERS]

Not familiar with either sumac or chicken brush, but bet I've dealt with their equivilant. On nasty brush with large stems, sometimes I'll back up a deck length, with the mower set high, and drop the deck, and mow my way out. Very hour intensive, customers hate it. If at all possible, take a half bite,or a half of the mowers capacity. I keep the tractor more or less centered in the tall stuff. The mower has a clockwise rotation, the second pass hits the leftover stems from the other direction, and pretty much finishes them off. Have used that pattern on any ground that you can go foward on. Doesn't work so well on places that are too steep to drag the mower behind you